The Moon and The Arrow
by Zgirl001
Summary: The Royal house of the Moon had to sign a treaty with the humans. But it is not as simple and easy as it seems to be. And it is definitely not easy when it involves two brothers who just have to compete with each other with every single thing.
1. The King, Queen and the Heirs

A/N: I want to write a fairy tale! :)

Read and review!

Chapter 1

The emblem was swimming and soaring tall against the dry howling winds, soaking in the shades of brilliant evening haze, floating among the pristine clouds, as a symbol, as a hope, as their pride and strength manifested in the phizog of the silver dog, engraved in the richest of satin threads. The plateau was raised in a level above which the mighty Moon Palace was perched high, strong and impeccable.

The menacing sound of marching drums cleared the silent whispers that were exchanged in the brazen royal arena. The waft cleared the desert's dust, an unnatural serenity seeped through the pores of every being, commanding silence and resulting in the demanded stillness. The natives bowed and was already in their knees, heads declined with the needed reverence, an arm across their mighty chest, palm fisted on their beating heart as a silent pledge, an honour to serve their Prince, their home warrior, strong and ruthless as a destined leader, their future King, the dictator who would lead them to the prophesied path of light.

The Western Heir stood tall in the middle of the well raised gallery, his regal white kimono flowing wild, ruffling and fighting the evening blows as the burning Sun sank in to the ocean lighting the crystal sheen of the water in a perfect mass of gold, the blazing orange luminance sketched an edge of halo over his long silvery tress, beautifying the length of each streaks. His armour was dark, spiky, unyielding and covered his chiselled chest with the same mighty dog as an insignia above his heart. His sword was already drawn out, the blades shining under the incandescent brightness shouting the devilish sharpness of the silvered weapon.

The opponent was a being of bulk muscles; the bear demon was much taller than the Prince. The large demon swung a lengthy sword fitted in a crimson hilt in his right and his left palm had a short knife hooked in what could be defined as a manner of precision. His malevolent eyes gazed over his Prince and smirked, the smug, the mocking that oozed out from the black demon didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru. His thin brows narrowed in an unwritten threat, his golden eyes gleamed with excitement, his fangs in a perfect sneer, his claws itching to draw the blood of his opponent.

The drum's roar ceased and the spectators cheered aloud to commence the fight. The two warriors came close and bowed in a complete grace to start the much awaited game. A minute of silence rolled by, an eerie calmness encased, both calculating their hidden weaknesses and formulating mental strategies and then there was a blinding war cry with clashes of swords.

Every move of Prince Sesshomaru was an art to be lusted over, his muscles under the silk danced in a determined accuracy, his crouches and blows were graceful and spontaneous that could put other warriors, demons, to shame. The spars of the sharp blades were like a composed rhythm, the clangs swam across the anxious zephyr, rising above the cheers, drums and curses.

The royal family was placed on the raised up decorated balcony to view the sporting event. The curved fences were adorned with creepers of softest red flowers, glowing under the evening light, waiting to be shed as victory petals on the mane of the Prince. It was a custom to conduct this event before the accreditation of the Crown Prince. And the Royal family was almost ecstatic that evening. Well except for one, that is!

Inuyasha was bored to the core, he was leaning across the brick wall, his arms were crossed, a lazy grin pasted on his face when the maids near blushed on seeing his flexing muscles ripping beneath his red silk robes.

"Inuyasha, we all know you are the man that all the women are after, but could you just for once leave them out and start taking things seriously. This is a royal event" Inukimi stated, her voice was like a pricking ice and her eyes never left the fight that went below. She gave a sharp annoyed look at the maids who lusted after her step son and they fled almost instantly with shivering legs. The Queen just couldn't understand how the brothers were this shockingly different from each other.

But according to her mate, they weren't that alarmingly different. He had a point though, the boys of hers were one hell of a powered up female magnets, and the dangers were always drawn to them with no hesitation of whatsoever. The whole castle had to be rebuilt at least twice and no, they don't fight with each other that often like her subjects believed, also, they rarely join hands as allies even though they share a DNA, but when they do, there is chaos, fiasco and a maddening ordeal.

"Feh! And we all do know that Sesshomaru is gonna win the stupid fight. If you want a real fight, you should have allowed me to compete against him" He said, the sly look in his face was almost spontaneous and his claws edged the ends of his inherited silver strands. He heard a sigh from his sire, the King and dutifully closed his trap without further ado.

He knew that the comment was low, but he was bored and he just couldn't understand the concept of the whole fight. What was the point of the match if they all knew who the winning demon was gonna be? He wished he could go back in time and hunt all the ugly retarded old flea bags that had formed all these rules that precisely defined the word 'stupidity'. The most hated rule was that the heirs of the King aren't supposed to compete against each other unless it was a direct challenge to the throne.

Inuyasha hated responsibilities and he would any time gladly step aside with all his heart to give his half brother the full access to the crown. To be honest, he had formed a list that dealt with the very fact in why the role of king wouldn't suit him. The first point being, 'the stupid crown hurts my damn ears!'. Sesshomaru had called him an idiot, Inuyasha had answered back with 'Sesshomaru is a walking dead with a silver spoon stuck in his ass' and the whole name calling battle started and Inutaisho, the King, had to leave his political meeting with an embarrassed apology and deal with the little match that the brothers had organised between themselves.

Let's just say, that the day ended up with a threat from their father that shook their very bone and fibre. The threat being, 'If you both don't shut the damn trap in your face, I will shave both of your heads and apply the smelly potions from the witches that would keep you both bald for eternity!'

They had promptly nodded, bowed and walked to their respective wings with no more noise or breath. It was a fine night in the end, there was silence and peace which was rather unusual in the moon palace, and the natives almost called it a 'day of blessed'. It was official! Few even wept with uncontrollable joy.

"Inuyasha, for one night, act like a prince. We would be having visitors from the North after this fight and I want you to be in a proper behaviour for once!" Inutaisho whispered, his tone hushed and harsh.

"Fine, fine, I will wear a new set of under wears if that is what you mean. So who is visiting?" He asked, his eyes drenched in a wicked glint. He got a much needed stab in his chest from the elbows of his Queen.

"Ow, Maa! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his now bruised lungs.

"If you lay even one finger on the visiting ladies, I would personally rip your heart out and paint the whole palace with it" She threatened and Inuyasha winced. His birth mother had passed away years ago when he was a toddler and for some reason that he couldn't fathom, the cold Queen of West had raised him as her own pup. He gave her the respect that she was supposed to be given.

"I wasn't planning to. Maybe you should just run the condition by Sesshomaru too. We all know that he would be power drunk by the night and would do as he pleased." Inuyasha smirked. He knew his brother well than anyone else in the palace. He would be a head weighed dog with victory crowning his head and would demand the world to lick his feet.

"He had his fair share of lessons in etiquette class. He wouldn't step away from his duties and bring a degrading name to the West." Inutaisho stated. The match had come to an end with a dramatic whip and a boom. The Prince emerged and the crowd went absolutely mad, shouting the name of Sesshomaru.

' _Oh, that smug bastard!'_ Inuyasha cursed and smiled at the same time. He hated the guts of his brother but he respected him as a warrior, who was an occasional ally, not that he would tell that out loud, of course. He grinned and winked when his half brother caught his eyes. The act was returned discreetly by Sesshomaru who had his head held high; his sword was raised offering a silent gratitude to the heavens above.

"Your Majesty" A soldier in blue reached the royal alcove carrying a message in a silk scroll.

"The visitors have arrived" The King informed his family and strolled towards the main hall to welcome them. Inukimi nodded and followed her mate, all the while giving Inuyasha a warning look.

"Feh!" He muttered under his breath ignoring the cruel scaring implied threat from the Queen and jumped over the railings to call for his brother.

"So, did you jump over to finally kneel down and accept that I'm the best?" Sesshomaru had a look of pride painted over his face and Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk with his claws. It's been days since he had used his moves on his brother and his claws almost begged to bath in the scarlet flow of the full demon.

"Oh dear brother, have you finally gone lunatic?" Inuyasha sneered, his eyes smiling with a defined glee. The crowds have moved out, not wanting to be a part of anything that arises between the half brothers. They didn't have a death wish and they certainly didn't want to be caught only to be produced in the court as witnesses to the impending doom.

"Maybe you should just attend lessons on 'How to be sarcastic', because your reply honestly isn't worth any come back" The eldest walked away with a raised brow and a swift turn. He knew Inuyasha would curse out loud and he didn't want to ruin the evening of his victory by indulging in a petty fight that would conclude with a smack on his head from his father.

"Maybe _you_ should go for some lessons or I could just give you some tips. Anyways, I was just wondering if your mangy brain would know anything about the visitors from the North? "The hanyou asked, his eyes scanning for any visible sign of recognition from the Crown Prince.

"Yes I do know and you would have known about it if you had attended your daily sessions instead of spending your time in dark alcoves with your filthy hands wrapped around-"

"Okay, now can we just get past the comment about my daily activities and get to the tasks at hand about who are the dear visitors that our old man is tensed about?" Inuyasha asked before Sesshomaru could go on about his love life.

' _Honestly, is it too much to ask for some privacy around this damn palace?'_ The hanyou wondered, gritting his teeth.

"The Visitors are from The North, majority being humans, lead by a miko who is considered to be special." Sesshomaru said ignoring the gritting from his younger brother. He almost smirked, his lips twitched when he realised that he had hit the sore spot. He was just as playful and good with the ladies as Inuyasha was, but the Hanyou lacked in what could be called as 'secrecy and discreet'.

"Miko? What is so special about this miko?" Inuyasha asked, following his brother towards the confines of their palace.

"We would know if we attend the scheduled meeting. Come little brother, it's time to learn diplomacy and deal signings" Sesshomaru declared strolling away to the main hall. He was equally intrigued and the incredulity on the rumours about the miko had left him sleepless. He was in need of many answers and he was sure he would be getting them by tonight.

"Feh!" Inuyasha mumbled but stopped his negation when he spotted a raven haired girl in the midst of a crowded foyer.

' _Hmm the evening wouldn't be a waste after all'_ he delightfully decided and smirked when her eyes met his.

~.~.~


	2. The Miko, the Monk and the humans

Chapter 2

Inutaisho had to stay calm, placid and composed even though he was in the verge of having his veins exploded. His facade of patience was not fooling anyone in the main hall. And there was no one to blame except for himself, why he ever had a second son was something that he kept asking every night when the sleep refused to grace him. Not that he hated his hanyou son, but he wondered what kind of apocalypse he had caused in his previous birth that had made the Gods to bless him with a son who just doesn't know when to stop being a complete fool and who was an epitome of complete abasement.

Inukimi could taste the ripple of anxious in the tip of her tongue that was being currently emitted from the great King of Demons himself. Her fingers were tracing the vivid patterns on the pearls that adorned her nape while her eyes were trained on her step son who was the cause of the encased tangible frantic ether on them. Her gaze averted to her eldest, who was in the form of poise and perfection, as if swimming in the waters of absolute tedium, but she was his mother and she could very well see the small quirked up edges of his lips that almost went unnoticed by others. Sesshomaru was certainly enjoying the dense scenario, nearly waiting for the meeting to end so that he could witness with his heart's content the outburst of his father and followed by prompt disinheritance of his brother from the family legacy.

Inuyasha, who was totally oblivious to the knotty reactions of his family, was busy mentally disrobing the little female, whom his eyes had instantly picked off from the crowd. His fang was dipping his lip in what could be defined as his way of telling he was certainly interested, his golden eyes were half lidded, straight and glimmered under the flickering fires that were lit in the bronze fire holders placed across the walls. She was squirming under his gaze, covering behind another woman, the miko, who was doing the non stop talking with his sire about a treaty that needed to be signed.

 _~If you don't cut that out brat, I would personally rip one of your ears and feed it to the humans as an appetiser before their dinner! ~_ It was a strong mental message from his father through the pack link and Inuyasha visibly flinched. His silver ears immediately drooped and nuzzled in the mass of silky strands in his head, to hide away from the imposed threat. His eyes shifted to that of his brother who was a little tardy in covering up the smirk. The haughtiness caked his bravado and Inuyasha could only send a silent sneer towards his half brother.

~ _A little warning would have been nice~_ He cursed Sesshomaru and rolled his eyes when the said brother smirked at him again. The girl who was in the receiving end of Inuyasha's melting stare relaxed a bit and kept averting her gaze back and forth, stealing subtle glances at the hanyou who was feigning a sudden interest on the treaty.

Sesshomaru, who had already heard the terms of the contract million times before, had his gaze fixated on the miko who did all the talking. Her eyes had a mystified perception, her aura sang the serene purity and he could almost see the little specs of pink and mauve hues hugging her skin. He inhaled a lungful and his tongue clipped out with a burst of euphoric zest. He almost cringed when her eyes met his, across the luxurious room with acuity; she had a small smile that proved her to be blithe. Her vision shifted back to the matters in the hand and he felt unsettled, unable to form an opinion on the miko. Some thing was blatantly foreign about her, yet the look was similar and it nerved him to the core that he couldn't solve this well presented enigmatic labyrinth. The brothers had missed the introductions that were exchanged and by the time they entered the hall, the session had already started.

There was some kind of familiarity that was etched on her visage. From his peripheral vision, Sesshomaru could see that his brother had his eyes narrowed in a slit; looking for the same clue that he was seeking for. The eldest heir took in her dark wavy hair that looked like tendrils from the finest silk, smoothed with inks of squeezed hematite, flowing down and more. Her lashes seemed curved and never to end, bordering the light in her eyes that could be compared with the rarity of obsidian.

There was a man clad in traditional attire of monk, black and violet silks ruffled with the movement of his staff held in his right hand. His level of diplomacy brought many ministers in the hall to their knees. He had put forth the issues in the prescribed terms in the treaty and was currently dealing with the King, leaving the miko to rest a while. She had the small minuscule smile always on her lips that made Sesshomaru to question her state of sanity. Her palms reached up to twist her hair in a knot and that was when Sesshomaru literally heard a gasp from his brother. The royal members were oblivious to the sudden intake of air by the youngest prince and didn't still.

Sesshomaru could very well see the resemblance now and he could relate to his brother's flustered reaction. She strongly had the semblance of Inuyasha's dead lover, Kikiyo.

 _~Don't leave the hall in the middle of a session~_ Sesshomaru sent a loud warning to his brother telepathically, who looked as if he had eaten something that was not supposed to be eaten (which is strange because Inuyasha usually eats everything that looks even remotely edible).

~ _Does she-? Is she-?~_ Inuyasha struggled to complete whatever question he had in his mind, his eyes were alarmingly large as if he had committed an act of larceny and got caught righteously. His usually twitching ears were timorous and hidden, his claws flexed and his breath hitched. Sesshomaru had to control him mentally before the King and Queen noticed any err or stir in the air. They were still preoccupied with the monk and Sesshomaru decoyed the hanyou back to normalcy.

The meeting came to an end, adjourning the rest of the discussion to the next session on the next day. Inutaisho rose from the throne, his fur swirled with a curl in his arm, his crown imprinted with the richest of stone brought a sense of awe to the humans. Inukimi joined her mate with a smile in her face and a drop of jewel touched the crescent moon on her forehead that rendered everyone else speechless.

"The moon palace is open for your stay. We hope it meets your requirements" She said, her voice high and sharp. The maids at her disposal were immediately by the sides of the guest to show them their respective arrangements. Inutaisho was about to stroll down from the royal dais to give a piece of his mind to Inuyasha, but was stopped with a hand on his shoulder.

"No, my mate, he really needs to-" The King hushed in a whispered tone.

"My dear King, Trust me, this is not the time" Inukimi simply said, gave a nod towards her eldest and tugged her mate towards the open door.

Inuyasha was still in shock, staring hard at the velvet weaves that were draped against the huge windows, as if willing them to be burned, to smoke away everything in his line of vision with a blinding inferno. His memories haunted him and he struggled to breathe.

Sesshomaru moved from his place, to stand next to Inuyasha, to pull him back if he starts to attack the random guests in their palace. There was a shift in the air; a strong tempest of lamentation was tearing away the sense of serenity that was seeping moments ago.

"Inuyasha, that's enough" Sesshomaru said, his voice equally monotonous and sharp. His eyes narrowed and the hanyou was shifted from the strange moment of trance. He blinked twice and a well drawn facade was back with a smirk, his eyes travelled beyond the miko and rested on the girl he was concentrating on earlier, all the while willing to obliterate the opaque form of his deceased lover.

"You must be Prince Inuyasha" The miko approached with a wide smile that was drafted almost in a sense of benevolence. Inuyasha swallowed a large lump in his throat, branding his brain with the message that the woman in front of him was definitely not Kikiyo, she was nothing like the demurred, soft spoken lover of his.

"Feh, are we in a place where we state the obvious?" He asked, his brow were raised, his iris starring hard at the human in front of him. Her brows arched, her eyes shone with brilliance and she rolled them in annoyance.

"Hmm, I have been told, that you have the bratty temper" She said with a smirk, twitched her lips and grinned after few seconds.

"Watch your mouth young Miko, you are talking to the Prince" He said, matching her stance, looking down at her.

"Titles huh? It should be earned Inuyasha, the King and the Queen has my deepest respect, but no one else" She said and walked past with a casual flick of her tress.

Sesshomaru had his smirk well pasted in his lips; her laconic words were as cryptic as she was. He could taste her power and was momentarily drenched in a sense of adulation towards her.

"Prince Sesshomaru" She inclined her head and strolled away with the monk and black haired girl, along with allotted maid towards her night chambers. The eldest prince raised a single brow, his fur coiled in the ends, bristled, annoyed with the lack of answers but intrigued with the challenges unfolding in front of him.

"And you are?" He asked before she could step away from the confines of large room. Her form angled a bit, a small smile edged her lips and Sesshomaru could only stare.

"I'm Kagome" She said and moved away with the monk.

"Oye!" Inuyasha yelled, his hands in a perfect knot across his chest, his eyes burning like a molten gold.

The last in the crew stopped and turned towards him.

"You never said your name" He said, his head was in a tilt, the smirk and arrogance baked his aura, and the girl towards whom his question was directed, visibly blushed.

"I'm Rin" She said, her tone was almost inaudible, floating as light as plumage across the mild gust and her cheeks were tinted with spots of pink, she bit her lower lip, a demurred look was given to the hanyou and she left all the while calming her frantic nerves.

The brothers exchanged a look. One thing was absolutely certain. The miko was nothing like Kikiyo and their stay guaranteed an impending havoc.

~.~.

A/N : I know they seem to be a little OOC. But they would get in their characters soon. Inuyasha, even when raised in a palace is cold and a brat because of certain misfortunes with his lover. And the flash back would find its way in future chapters.

Kagome may seem little proud but then how else would the great and mighty Sesshomaru fall for a woman (unless she is eye catching and interesting)?

And thanks for the reviews :)


	3. The Love, the pain and the scar

**Chapter 3**

The queen strolled though the palace gardens under the lamp of silver moon, her fingers gracing the soft velvet petals that bled red, a lone sigh danced from her lips and the air above was flooded with harbingers, weighing the civilians down. The distressed music from her wafted through the light blow and reached her mate's ears.

"What causes you such heaviness?" Inutaisho questioned, his claws already reaching across to pick the small bright flower blooming like a befitted crown above the thorns that his queen's fingers had sought for.

"There is something that's aberrant above the miko" She confessed, taking the single flower that now blossomed in the wide palm of her King.

"I noticed and she strongly resembles Inuyasha's dead woman" The King took her hand in his and walked forward, all the while thinking about the plausible scenarios that this would lead in to and none of the alternatives proved to be a summer shine. The resonance was still loud enough, the pain that his youngest went through was still fresh, all the screams and roars weren't lost in the wind as he had thought it would, and he could only relate it with his own loss.

The edges of his lips turned in to a visible frown and Inukimi felt the claws of lump strangling her throat. She knew the look that drenched his face; it was the same look that he gets during the silent nights when he stares at the dark sky that brings him back memories of one's raven hair. He was mourning for his lover and it killed Inukimi to realise with a bitter taste lingering on her head that she would never be able to fill out that one hole in his heart, the one gaping abyss in his drumming organ that he had dug as a grave for his lost love, that one hollow that was too deep to be filled by any warmth as a panacea from her.

His pace slowed, the sky growled with a start, drips of clear drops freckled down the earth in an attempt to wash out the thoughts that weighed him down, as an accolade to the talisman that he had failed to cherish. His lashes smudged in the rain, his eyes that were too gold were staring at the lamenting ether.

The Moon Queen sighed again, this time with a sharp cringe churning in the depth of her chest; the flower in her palm fell, unlike the silent tears that refused to make an appearance, refused to spill in this continuum. Her face was in a beat, dressed in an indifferent facade, holding her chin high, she left the garden that was drafted for the human woman who had surpassed her yet again even beyond the cold grave.

~.~.~.~.~

He left the confines of his draped bed when the female demon whose name he had long forgotten had drifted off to sleep. The red silk of his robes clung to his body like a second skin and his clawed feet took him to the large French windows that were facing the ocean. The drips of the rain were harsh on the glass and each destined beat matched with the rhythm of his heart.

Inuyasha stared at the trailing drops that were descending south, and the smell of fresh sand brought him waves of memories that refused to leave him alone even after these many years, the tides refused to back down, eroding the shore grains. His heart stirred with specks of suppressed emotions surfacing, bringing along the cold that he despised. The miko was nothing like his demure Kikiyo, no one could ever be compared with her flawless beauty, he decided, lauding even her voice as a euphony that he had fell for.

The self pity took him in its lap, lulling him in to the dark corner, feeding him the fruits of sadness and the hanyou looked above the cracks of sky, all the while yelling profanities to the heaven and the gods for the crafted play by the fate, to give him something and to grab the same back, just to watch him break down and cave, to fade away as nothing but ghoul.

The coolness of the thick glass seemed strangely divine for his burning forehead and he sighed, sliding his head on the chill surface, hoping all the way that he could just sleep for few hours without the memories of Kikiyo succumbing him from within. The thunder howled as a needed vehemence among the haze of electric blue, grieving for his grief.

With a determination that would make his father proud, he roused above the sickening shackles of loss and went to the kitchen in an attempt to fix himself a decent dessert that would hopefully melt away all the sorrow that was edging like a rusted knife in the flesh of his chest. The steps to the dining were short and he reached in an instant, only to find the large table occupied by the woman who had raised the dead pain from its grave.

"Hm, midnight snack hunt?" Kagome asked, her eyes still fixed on the bowl of cherries.

"Well, aren't you a little ashamed to sneak in to our castle and stuff your face with our food?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes had a narrow slit and the glint lurking in the corners of his eyes didn't go unnoticed by the young woman in white robes.

"Oh my dear prince, are you that illiterate to know what exactly is 'sneaking in'? Just so you know, the Queen invited us to stay and so I'm your guest with a right to sit and have a bowl of cherry when I feel like having it." She said, her eyes rising from the sweetened fruit to that of a golden iris.

"At least you have learned to address me with a proper title" He said, not in the mood to spar with words, and definitely not in the mood to sit and chat with the woman who was ultimately a catalyst for ruining his evening.

"Sarcasm is not your strong subject I guess" She whispered, and Inuyasha smirked.

' _Yeah she is nothing like my Kikiyo'_ His thoughts that were blurred a moment ago rippled once more and settled in to a firm conclusion. He had hoped the head chef Sango would be there to fix him up with something that would effectively thwart all the twinges. He sighed again, cursing the formidable night.

"Do you want my cherries?" She asked. Inuyasha's eyes widened a bit on her offer, he blinked once, twice and thrice, processing her words.

"Wh-what?"

"They are fresh and ripe" She said and pointed to the bowl. The young prince visibly shuddered and trailed his vision to the half empty bowl. His cheeks tinted and there was an audible chuckle from the miko in front of him.

"Surely you didn't think-?" She started, her lips in a curved smirk.

"As if I would have accepted it" He said and his voice came out all wrong with a squeaky pitch and she laughed at his endeavours to look dignified and sophisticated.

"Oh, brother, I don't think she is that desperate". The eldest made an appearance, his voice all the more stoic and calm, but there was a definite glee dancing in the topaz shine of his.

"Prince Sesshomaru" the miko stood up and bowed to the heir of the throne. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, controlling the urge to whine that he wasn't offered the same respectful bow when he entered the hall of dining.

"What? Is this the night of a snack reunion?" Inuyasha grumbled and took the red fruits from the miko that promised momentary bliss.

"Ah brother, so you didn't get the invitation of the reunion?" Sesshomaru asked, his head tilted in a mock and Inuyasha smirked.

"Didn't you know that I was the host?" Inuyasha's lips twitched, his fangs dipped the lower lip, his brow arched in the same mock matching the stance of his brother's teasing glint.

"Yeah, he is officially nominated as the worst host ever" Kagome leered towards Inuyasha and a small chuckle floated across the room.

"Oh, shut up" the younger prince snapped at miko and left the room with the bowl clutched in his palm, grumbling something about idiotic woman and their incessant rude behaviour that should cease. The miko giggled and looked at Sesshomaru with a tiny hope that he would give a candid chuckle again. Instead she was faced with a deep stare from him, a stare that almost pinned her down, devouring her.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice was strangely ominous and cajoling, as if pulling out words right from her tongue.

"I'm Kagome" She said, her brow lifted in a questionable stare which was duly ignored by the royal person in front of her.

"I didn't ask for your name" He stated. His eyes were quick enough to note the tiny quirk in the corners of her lips, as if she knew him well enough that her answer wouldn't suffice. And he hated it.

"I'm a miko" Her mahogany eyes shining with a deriding glint. Her lashes lowered to trace her vision to the south of his being, noticing a scar on the top of his left breast that was left open by the lose tie up of his pristine silver robes. A deep cut on his heart was more than tangible and she flinched a little, her teeth digging her lips, her eyes met his again.

"And I'm a demon. _Who_ are you?" He asked again, his brow arching up to match hers, as if challenging to evade his true intent in the question. She had an overt smirk in her lips, a sardonic gaze met his and he gave a fallacious growl as a warning.

"That is for you to find out, my Prince" She said, her grin scaled up and she bowed before leaving him to stare at the shadows of fire dancing against the brazen wall.

~.~.~.~

"Buy my lady,-" the monk swallowed the questionable lump in his throat, his confusion far too evident and his loss of words to frame a proper question was causing him to sweat.

"Don't fret my child, your confusion is very clear. You are confused on why there is a temple in the middle of lands ruled by the demon King. A place of holiness among a land of beings that detest the very presence of priests and priestess, the roots run deep my child. History is something that chisels the very present."

"Lady Kaede, I'm sorry, but I still don't understand" Miroku confessed. The night was deep and it had started raining all of a sudden with no warning what so ever. The monk who had decided to spend the late evening in the lands of the demon lord was at lost when the sky had opened up its glands of tears. He had found a building that had semblance of spirituality and barged in with half drenched robes and beads.

"Aren't you here to find out what exactly went wrong with the history? Or is it the 'present' that you want to inspect. Tell me my holy monk, you don't belong to this realm, do you? Maybe in these lands, but not in this time zone, maybe in this era, but not in this continuum!" The age lady clad in white and red asked the dark haired man before her.

It wasn't as if every day was born with intriguing happenings around her. She had felt the shift, the rip in the time, the change in the dimension. The alteration would change everything, maybe for the good or it may lead in to annihilation. She had not left the abode of shrine, praying all day that she would be gifted with an answer to the questions that had haunted her since the shift in the air.

"It rather strange that you could find out the changes so easily, Lady Kaede but I'm not in the position to answer the questions that had been directed towards me. Perhaps you are at the end to answer mine" Miroku asked, his lump in the throat strangling him with hopes, worry and desperation.

"Maybe I can"

"Good. Perhaps you can start with the past of the Princes. They seem to have a love hate relationship but there was only hate between them from where I come from. And with this I had answered that I am from a different timeline as you detected me to be from; I strongly hope that the conversation we have would never leave the confines of this walls." Miroku whispered, his syllables carried the weight of their mission, their possible future.

"They weren't in what can be defined as a sibling relationship. What brought them to indemnify each other's situation, what brought them to reconcile and save the remains of their feelings were because of heart breaks."

"Heart breaks?"

"Aye, the strong mighty brothers were brought down to their knees and tears once. They emerged as hard as a crafted metal from the breakdown" The priestess's words were short, sharp and rich.

"And these heart breaks were from the women they were intend to mate with?"

"You could say that and what worries me is that the woman you were with earlier in the court room, the woman whose energy sings a strong power of spiritualism, that woman, she is an incarnation of my deceased sister Kikiyo" The elder miko's eyes met the midnight blue of monk's, pinning him down with questions that were unvoiced.

There was another loud crack in the heavens above and the torrent from the dark clouds ceased. The monk relaxed visibly and bowed.

"It seems the weather is friendlier now. I can continue my journey, thank you for having me in the temple Lady Kaede. I hope we could meet up again"

"I know we would meet up soon monk. There are more rains to come" Kaede whispered, the words were a promise of future meet, a promise for a clear sky after the storm and cold.

He hoped too, he was never the one who was fond of cold.

~.~.~

A/N: I know! I know! This is a late update and I do apologize for the same. My classes started and the previous week wasn't exactly breezy..

But, thanks for the lovely reviews!

The story would unfold more in the next chapter. So don't give up if there are doubts and confusion.

Next update will be soon. I promise!


	4. The Right, the Wrong and the Truth

Chapter 4

"A kingdom prospers only when there is a strong foundation. And the basic element for strength is trust" Inutaisho held his chin high as a silent challenge towards his eldest heir to defy the words spoken.

"True father, but the history sings the great downfalls of mighty beings. While 'trust' does play a major role, it cannot be casually sewed upon." Sesshomaru confessed his thoughts and his eyes avoided the threatening gaze of his father's.

"And you have so little hope on my judgement? Is that it? Do you doubt my decisions on placing my trust on them?" Inutaisho roared, his hands gripped the wooden carve of the nearby chair and the cracks on the design was deep enough to scrap the furniture.

"Father, I thought you want to discuss about the elements of a strong rooted rule-"Sesshomaru defended and was duly stopped with another piercing stare from his sire. The Prince knew that his father had called for him this morning to ask why he was disturbed. The whole signing the contract with the humans and the miko had put him restless and Sesshomaru was surprised that his facade was transparent to his father.

"You are the heir to the throne. What is it that makes you frown whenever the miko is mentioned?" The sire asked. His approach seemed direct enough and frankly the sudden aloofness from his eldest made him frustrated. This whole concept of cold stares and exchange of smirks for the past two days between his guests and his sons were driving him crazy. The queen had refused to talk to him, to spend the night on his chambers and it nerved him that he still couldn't get what great sin he had committed. When he had sorted the help of Inuyasha, his son had rolled his eyes and closed the doors right on his face. The King had promptly returned to the throne room with brimming anger and there was almost steam from his ears when he had witnessed a series of verbal spars between Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"There is something that is strange about the miko" Sesshomaru blurted out. His voice was as low as it always has been, smooth, confident and precise. His claw once again chipped out to scratch his chin. He had never doubted his father's judgement before but he just couldn't sit aside when he could sense fragments of deception from her whenever she was questioned on her origin.

"Huh. Did you think that I have ruled this land these many centuries with blind eye? I could sense deception and ruse when I see one. While the Miko is a trusted friend, she does hold some secrets, but nothing that would bring harm to our reign in this land." The king strolled across the wide spread room and his ivory cape that was draped from his strong shoulders blew from the evening breeze.

"I do not doubt your sense of judgement and rule. And while I do believe in your principles and methods, I just can't sit idle and lay my scepticism aside. Go ahead father, if you have so much trust on the humans and miko why is it that the signing is deferred? Why is it that I sense fragments of demur from you?" Sesshomaru questioned his father, he was tired of contemplating the hidden agenda and it drove him nuts to think that he had been ignored from whatever plan his father was having in his mind.

"The contract clearly states that we extend our protection to the humans of North if their demon king plans to start a war against them. The North King and his army can be easily defeated, but that would forever imprint in the minds of other Demon Kings that we are their foe. While the very idea of defeating and bringing the North under our rule is something that I look forward to, making an enemy out of the Eastern and the Southern King is something that could bring a down fall to our empire." The King breathed out and he could almost see the gears in his son's head calculating.

"The contract is clearly an 'if' position. I don't think the Northern King would waste his time in killing a bunch of humans and even if it ever comes to such a situation, I would gladly go in to the war with the South. It would give me an intense satisfaction in killing the bastard king with my own hands." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in a slit and for few seconds he could only see red. His blood pounded in his chest and it took precious few seconds to calm his frantic nerves.

"Sesshomaru! Clear your head. I do know you have a personal grudge against the Southern King. I do know that what he did was extremely wrong but-" Inutaisho walked around in attempt to soothe the effervescing anger out of the Prince's heart but was duly stopped with a growl from his son. The Prince's eyes seemed diluted and his nostrils flared out a bit, his chin was tilted high and Inutaisho could almost see the oncoming debate.

"There is nothing in the world that is right and wrong. There is only Power and weak" He said and walked away without being dismissed by his sire. His steps on the polished marble were harsh, faltered, and against the poised walk that he usually displays. His stride slowed down a bit when he reached the huge mahogany doors, almost coming to halt when he sensed a presence of human outside the main doors to the throne room. His eyes narrowed further and pushed the huge doors with just his finger and promptly causing the human on the other side to fall on the hard corridors.

"Spying on a royal subject amounts to treachery against the empire and the punishment is immediate death" Sesshomaru crossed his arms and stared hard at the human girl who was currently kissing the dirt. Her little fingers curled inside her tiny palms and her eyes swam across the floor, hesitant to meet the eyes of the Prince.

"I-I wasn't" She voiced out and the panic in her words was just too evident. Her fingers curled the hem of her orange checked kimono and she raised her eyes to meet the Prince's. She had honestly not eavesdropped whatever that had happened inside the throne room. She was lost on her way to her wings and she had felt waves of demonic aura from inside the huge mahogany doors and was glued to the floor awing at the sheer force of power from the Prince. She had heard something about personal grudge against the Southern King and had just gotten curious about it.

"Now now brother, are you seriously threatening a harmless, defenceless human girl?" Inuyasha stepped in from behind the huge velvet curtains that were draped to cover the fencing alcoves. Rin almost exhaled in relief when the eyes of the eldest were no longer pinning her down to the hard Earth. She blushed when Inuyasha's golden iris had a free reign on her to check whether she was hurt from her clumsy fall.

'Hn, and what do we have here? A Knight in shining armour to save the whimpering girl? Honestly Inuyasha, have you ran out of the entire demon females in the lands that you had to play this act to get her warm your bed?" Sesshomaru sneered and he knew that he had played low. But his nerves were still in a frantic rage and he badly wanted a release. He knew that Inuyasha would never back down from a hit to his pride and he just wanted to lure his half brother in to a bloody spar that would make him forget about certain past.

"Tcch, oh my dear brother, I'm no Knight and the one wearing a ridiculous armour is you. Now if you want to insult me, you must try harder" Inuyasha smirked at his brother. He could very well get the picture his brother was drawing. Few minutes ago he had sniffed out the sweet scent of the human girl, decided to follow her and sneak a chance to talk to her. Everything was ruined when his brother had let out a surge of anger from the throne room. Rin was spellbound and he could smell the wonder in her face. Inuyasha almost puked with disgust to see _his interest_ having any sense of interest towards his brother. Respect – he could tolerate, but anything more than that, he just can't take it. The half breed could interpret the emotional debate his brother was having and though he usually puts up a good fight with Sesshomaru, any fight with an emotionally raged Sesshomaru would only mean blood and bruise to Inuyasha. And Inuyasha was not in a position to lose a fight with his brother in front of a beautiful girl.

"What was I thinking? A knight? You surely don't have any fight in you, young brother" Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and walked away with the final word. His mood was just getting worse and it seemed like he needed to clear his head. He headed to the royal dragon stall to unleash his dragons and to soar away to nowhere in particular.

He was however not prepared to see the sight in front of him. The miko was petting his dragons in the most dignified and perfect way. His brow arched in a perfect art at the scene that was unfolding before him. Petting a dragon was something only the higher demons were capable of and even the stable staffs who were demons themselves had been terrified in the beginning to touch Ah-Uh. The growing pain in the back of his head only intensified further. His doubts on the miko increased a notch and he couldn't help but feel a wave of omnipotent waft tingle the depth of his skin. Rationalism was something that seemed to adore Sesshomaru and had never abandoned him. His pragmatic brain cells were gearing up. He has to find out who exactly she is and she has to leave his land before she could achieve whatever she had come for. The contract was a mere cover for her plans and the Moon Prince was determined to stripe her facade off.

~.~.~.~.~.~

"Thank you" Rin had finally come to her senses and stood up to offer a bow to the younger prince who had managed to save her. She felt her cheeks burning when his eyes trailed to her frame. The lump in her throat grew a bit and she felt hard to just breathe out and breathe in the much needed air.

"Hm, he is right though. It's a serious crime" Inuyasha voiced in and his smirk just made his tone even more nefarious.

"But I didn't" She said and took a step back when he had taken one forward. His arms were crossed and the silver hair that framed his face glimmered under the kiss of the Sun. The shining strands curled around in the edges and his forelocks begged to be touched. Rin had to fist her palm from obliging the urge to twirl those locks in her fingers. Another back step was taken when the prince took his towards the demure girl. Her raven tress was enticing to his and he was drawn, almost pulled towards those warm brown eyes. He wanted to run, chase and hit his brother for speaking so low about Rin, as if she is a common slut who would be willing enough to take him in. Her eyes spilled purity and innocence and Inuyasha was confused over this feeling of sudden urge to protect her, to cradle her in the crook of his arms, to cherish her and to give her nothing but pure warmth.

She was cornered against the wall, never realising that she had taken that many steps until the hard wall had made it clear that she has no means to thwart the forward steps of the Prince clad in royal attire of red. Inuyasha's lips twitched in to a defining smirk and he just couldn't get enough fill of her sweet scent. The demon in him roared with approval when her eyes met his. His palm rested against the wall towering her head and he leaned down, just to get a whiff of the fruit that was painfully forbidden to taste. Her warmth was capturing and he could almost trace the small lines in the pink of her lips. Her tongue clipped out to wet those tiny cracks in her seams and he almost lost the control to stay away from her. His nostrils flared when her pearly teeth dipped her lower lip and how he prayed to the heavens above to have a sip of the red wine pouting in front of him. Her eyes closed and she cringed when he was close enough to define that he had invaded her personal space. His eyes trailed below her chin and he wasted to nuzzle in the inviting arch that bled in to her shoulders.

"Maybe you didn't. I believe you" He whispered, his breath coated the rim of her ears and the delicious pink was back in her cheeks. Her curved lashes rose and she drowned in the melting gold of his eyes. She gave a small nod and he smirked, clearly satisfied with the effect he had on her.

He walked away with amusement perched in his eyes when he saw her going lump against the wall. She was clearly catching her breath. His prayers were almost silent pleads to the above, for her not to know that he was equally affected.

~.~.~.~

"You can have as much as blood that you need from me, Myoga. All I ask is very little as a return." Miroku tilted his head to offer his neck and the blood running below it as a bribe to get the desired information.

"Oh, your blood is too sweet to resist the temptation. Fine, you can ask two questions and my answers would only be in 'yes' or 'no' type" Myoga, the Royal flee demon bargained, purging the remains of guilt from his system. It wasn't his fault that the Royal Kingdom hadn't offered him with any delicious blood and this was his way of surviving.

Miroku hesitated and his eyes were focused in asking the one question that he almost already had an answer for. He was at a loss in framing the question properly in a way that would quench his thirst. Kagome was in so much pain and he could see through her fake smiles and fake smirks that she had artfully built around her to fool the others. Her silent whimpers from last night almost made him cringe, and he thanked all his good fortunes as none of the demon family had heard from their wings the cryings from the previous night. Kagome was like a sister to him and even though he won't be able to change the things in his time realm, he was sure if things fall as per their plan he would be able to see a semblance of peace in her face.

"I heard that Sesshomaru was in love with someone decades back and was deceived. Is that right?" The monk asked.

"Yes"

"And the woman, who broke his heart, is she a wind sorcerer by the name Kagura?" Miroku asked, his eyes focused on the little demon in front of him to catch even a subtle movement of the demon flee. He was not surprised when the flee demon's eyes went wide with a shock. Seconds strolled by and the air around them got a lot more deadly and cold.

There was a single word from Myoga that made him breathe out the air that he had held in his lungs.

"Yes".

~.~.~.~

A/N : Thanks for the reviews. Sesshomaru seem little OOC and there is a reason behind it. The character would be developed in future chapters that would define the Sesshomaru we know of.

Leave a review ! : )


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